For our beer connoisseurs-Bootlegger’s Brewery

The last time we posted a beer review was back in November. Our resident beer reviewer Rick Nicholson finally finished his 12 step program and is now back on the game. Without further adieu, please enjoy the following beer review.

Being an Orange County transplant from the evil side of town known as Los Angeles, it fills me with pride to find a diamond in the rough of Orange County, California. While dining on the finest that Pancho’s Restaurant in the city of Orange has to offer, a representative (Alfred) from the Bootlegger’s Brewery approached our table to offer up some of their 22 ounce bottled beverages

Bootlegger’s Brewery is a microbrewery located in Fullerton, California. They create and provide craft beers to the locals in the vein of the small batch process which makes them flexible and able to present a wide variety of styles.

I chose their Rustic Rye IPA and being that I am normally not a fan of the more recent additions to the IPA aisle of my local grocer (hello Sam Adams?), I decided to give theirs a shot in the hopes that I may be turned around. After pouring it into a pint glass, the first thing that I noticed was the burnt orange color and the nice head of foam. The head did not retreat in a hurry and lingered perfectly with a nice hue which delighted me, so it very much did add to the beer’s appeal.

My nose encountered a sweet earthiness with citrus to carry the floral underlying scent. The taste was in no way as bitter and intense as some of the other IPA’s I have come across. A smooth and dry finish left me with wanting to drink more. And believe you me, I did that indeed. In addition to the floral citrus, I also detected a hint of caramel. I must say that I rather enjoyed this Rye version of the IPA, so I may start riding the IPA train…that did not come out right…

My food recommendations for IPA would normally lean towards fish of the spicy nature, but since I enjoyed this in a Mexican restaurant littered with spices, I say damn you traditionalists and have a tamale or flauta with this IPA. A clueless rebel I may be, but nonetheless, Pancho’s has a kick ass flauta.
I am not certain of the caloric count, but the ABV is 6.20% which leads me to the following PSA. “Please call a cab if you drank this at an establishment unto which you drove to”. This IPA makes want to go camping, if only I camped.

On a scale of 1-10:
1. Aroma 9/10
2. Appearance 9/10
3. Taste 8/10
4. Aftertaste or finish 9/10
Overall rating: 8.75/10

-Rick Nicholson

Firestone Walker Brewing Company: Double Barrel Ale Review

RL Policar-Though its been nearly 2 months since our last beer review. Slick Rick Nicholson has provided us with another report that leaves the readers thirsting for some of this goodness in a bottle. By the way, when he says “badgered” he really means that I was gently reminding him…

Double Barrel Ale is brewed by the Firestone Walker Brewing Company out of Paso Robles, CA. It is brewed in the tradition of the British Pale brewers of Burton-on-Trent. Pour it in a pilsner glass and you will see It has a nice amber color with hints of orange. The head displays a lighter colored version of the ale itself that quickly retreats to a film, so it does not add to the beer’s appeal. However, upon tasting, the palate is left with a sweet toffee-like toasted malt flavor and the mellow merging of vanilla, oak, and a touch of hops. The aroma to the nose presents a floral citrus scent that adds to its depth. It goes down easy with a clean finish and has no bitter aftertaste which inspires one to have another. It is a beer drinkers beer that can be best paired with grilled meats and Italian red sauced dishes.

I purchased this one on a whim since I was being badgered to produce a beer review by someone who shall remain nameless (RL). I saw it, bought the 22-oz bomber, drank it, and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was and became a bit upset that I didn’t have another. I truly intend to purchase this Ale again and will most definitely offer it to friends. If they don’t care for it, then to Hades with them, more for me.
For every 12-oz serving, its caloric count is a surprising 166 with 5.0% alcohol. This DBA is an all season beer in my opinion which can be found in both six-pack and 12-pack varieties or in the 22-oz bomber which is to my liking.

On a scale of 1-10:
1. Aroma 9/10
2. Appearance 7/10
3. Taste 9/10
4. Aftertaste or finish 9/10
Overall rating: 8.5/10

-Rick Nicholson